The present invention relates to apparatus for connecting cables to operational devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to connectors for attaching a bundle of cables to operational devices.
Boating and water-related activities are becoming an increasingly important recreational as well as commercial activity. Recreational boaters have a wide variety of activities in which to participate. These activities include pleasure boating, water skiing, swimming, fishing, and other related activities. Commercial boating typically relates to the fishing industry. Pleasure boaters as well as commercial boaters have an increasing array of auxiliary equipment for use. This auxiliary equipment not only increases the enjoyment of the boating activity, but provides increased safety in boating as well. One such piece of auxiliary equipment is a depth finder. Depth finders use sound waves to locate and define underwater objects. Sound waves are sent into the water in a controlled beam from a transducer mounted on the boat. Objects within the beam reflect the sound waves back to the transducer. The depth finder measures the distance to the objects based on the time it takes for the sound wave to return. Each object, such as a bottom surface, fish between the boat and the bottom, or a structure in the water, reflects the sound wave differently. The reflected sound provides information about the makeup and type of the object. The depth finder displays the return signals as information about the bottom contours, suspended objects such as fish, and structures located in the water.
The depth finders typically have several cables which are detachably engaged to the depth finder. These cables include a transducer cable, a power cable, and a speed/temperature sensor cable. The cables typically have cable ends that house electrical connectors, such as pins or slots, which communicate with wires carrying electrical signals. The transducer cable connects to the transducer mounted on the transom of the boat. This cable communicates an electrical signal representative of the sound wave reflected by the below-surface object. The power cable communicates with a power supply on the boat. The speed/temperature cable connects to a sensor mounted on the transom for communicating the rate of travel of the boat through the water and the temperature of the water. These cables plug into mating receptacles in the back of the depth finder.
Owners of small open boats typically remove equipment from the boat after boating. This is to avoid pilferage from the boat while the owner is away. Often the housings for depth finders are equipped with quick release mechanisms for installing and removing the depth finders. However, in order to remove the depth finder from a boat, not only is the depth finder housing detached from the quick release mount, but the three cables must be separately detached as well. Upon resumption of boating activities, the cable ends of the three cables must be picked up and inserted into the depth finder separately. This is not only a problem due to the annoyance of locating the cable ends, but the cable ends loose in the boat may become damaged or corroded.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved apparatus for connecting cables to depth finders for use on boats. It is to such that the present invention is directed.
The present invention meets the need in the art by providing a cable connector for simultaneously engaging and disengaging with operating devices. The cable bundle connector comprises a housing body have two pairs of opposing sides that define an interior cavity with an open front end of the housing body and an opposing partially closed back end. One side of the housing body defines a slot from the open front end to the partially closed back end for receiving a plurality of cables. Each cable has a cable connector at a first distal end of elongate wires in the cable and an operational device at a second distal end thereof, with the cable connector and the operational device for at least one of the cables being too large to fit through the partially closed end of the housing body. A cable receiver defines a plurality of sleeves, each configured to receive a cable connector of one of the plurality of cables. Fasteners secure the cable receiver to the open front end of the housing. The housing body, receiving the wires of the cables through the slot, enables the cable connectors to be received in the respective sleeves with the wires passing outwardly of the housing body through the partially closed back end so that the cable connectors are readily connected or disconnected simultaneously to the electronic apparatus.